Rick Perry made national headlines [ http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/16/texas-governor-says-secession-possible/ ] in 2009 when, during a speech to a Tea Party group, he floated the possibility that Texas could secede from the union. But the governor's substantive ties to the neo-Confederate movement may be deeper than previously known.
A 1998 voting guide published by a leading neo-Confederate group and obtained by Salon not only endorses Perry for lieutenant governor but also describes him as "a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans." Perry's office did not respond to a request for comment about the governor's possible membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
The organization that publishes DixieNet describes [ http://dixienet.org/rights/whatisthels.shtml ] its mission in openly secessionist terms: "The League of the South is a Southern Nationalist organization whose ultimate goal is a free and independent Southern republic." Its core beliefs include the abolition of the income tax and central banking, a Southern republic that "revives the use of State Militias in place of maintaining large, standing armies," and a society that "perpetuates the chivalric ideal of manhood." The group rejects "the American Empire that now occupies the South."
Perry, who in 1998 was Texas' commissioner of agriculture running in a fiercely contested lieutenant governor's race, was praised by the League of the South as a "solid, conservative candidate" who would provide a "tremendous boost" to efforts in the Legislature to proclaim April as Confederate History and Heritage Month. (A few months after the election, in April 1999, the Texas state Senate did just that [ http://dixierising.com/Holidays/memorial/2005/texas_senate.php ], though it's not clear if Perry played any role.) On Election Day '98, Perry narrowly beat out Democrat John Sharp to become the state's first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction -- an outcome that positioned Perry to rise to the state's top job two years later, when George W. Bush left the governorship to become president.
What about the Sons of Confederate Veterans? Founded in 1896, it offers genealogical services, sells Confederate memorabilia and literature, and has lobbied to make Confederate flag license plates available around the country, and to keep the Stars and Bars flying at government buildings.
The latter faction seems to be in the ascendancy these days.
Visitors to the Sons of Confederate Veterans website [ http://www.scv.org/ ] are confronted by a video of a man in a gray uniform who proclaims, "One hundred and fifty years ago the men of the South left our homes and families to protect them from an illegal invasion and to fight for the rights our states held under the Constitution." He continues: "Too many in your time want to tell lies about us and the reasons we went to war. We fought for you. It is now your turn to stand up to the South."
Slavery is not mentioned.
The group also says the "citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America."
Ray Wainner, Texas division adjutant at the Sons of Confederate Veterans, told me that Perry's name did not appear in the group's membership records -- but that they only go back to 2001. The national office of the Sons of Confederate Veterans did not immediately respond to a request for comment. And Perry's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Whether or not Perry was ever a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, we know for certain that he has a little-examined history of associating with neo-Confederates and expressing sympathy for their cause.
In 2000, for instance, Bush was locked in a heated South Carolina presidential primary contest with John McCain in which the question of the Confederate flag and its presence atop the state's capitol played a prominent role. (Bush basically punted, saying it was a state issue.) At the same time, back in Texas, the NAACP demanded that two plaques bearing Confederate symbols be removed from the state Supreme Court building. The plaques were ultimately removed (sparking a decade of litigation pushed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans), but not before Lt. Gov. Perry weighed in on the side of the neo-Confederates.
According to the Washington Times (via Nexis), in March 2000 Perry fired off a letter to Denne Sweeney, Texas commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans: "Although this is an emotional issue," he wrote, "I want you to know that I oppose efforts to remove Confederate monuments, plaques, and memorials from public property. I also believe that communities should decide whether statues or other memorials are appropriate for their community."
(The United Daughters of the Confederacy is the group whose patent was opposed in 1993 by Sen. Carol Moseley Braun [ http://www.slate.com/id/2086951/ ], which in turn earned her the opposition of the League of the South in that 1998 voter guide above.)
Fast-forward to 2007, when, after being reelected for the second time in a landslide, Perry invited right-wing rocker Ted Nugent to play at his inauguration ball. Nugent showed up in a Confederate-flag shirt (and toting a machine gun, picture here [ http://austinist.com/attachments/spencer/Spencer_TedNugent02.jpg ]), prompting a minor outcry from black groups. But Perry's spokesman went on the record saying that Perry would have invited Nugent even if the governor had known in advance that Nugent was going to wear the flag shirt; and Nugent himself said Perry called him in the days after the event and, speaking about the controversy, encouraged Nugent to "give 'em hell."
So how does the Perry of 2011 -- the likely presidential hopeful who will have to appeal to plenty of Northerners -- view the Civil War and these neo-Confederate groups? We may find out soon. The Sons of Confederate Veterans is pushing for a Confederate-flag license plate in Texas, but when the state motor vehicle board voted [ http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/One_Vote_Needed_For_Texas_Plate_Displaying_Confederate_Flag_124564494.html ] on the matter back in April, it was a 4-4 tie, with one absence. Since then, one member died and the board is waiting for Perry to appoint a replacement. Stay tuned...
UPDATE 7/14/11: Perry spokeswoman Catherine Frazier issues this denial: "[T]he governor never joined that group nor has he ever paid any dues to it."
I've asked her if he has a position on the pending license plate issue, and if I hear back I will update this post.
Police: Pastor Found Dead in Times Square Hotel Had Drugs
Rev. Zachery Tims, Jr., center, celebrates the grand opening of the New Destiny Christian Center Community Youth Recreation Facility in 2005. Mr. Tims’s body was discovered at the W Hotel in Times Square on Friday. Courtesy of Julie Fletcher/Orlando Sentinel
By Sophia Hollander and Sean Gardiner August 15, 2011, 12:04 PM ET Updated 4:40 p.m. Monday
A white powdery substance believed to be narcotics was discovered with the body of a 42-year old megachurch Florida pastor who was discovered dead in a Times Square hotel room, a law enforcement official said Monday.
The cause of death for the Rev. Zachery Tims, Jr., who led an 8,000-member ministry in Orlando, is still pending.
Tims’s body was discovered Friday afternoon when a worker trying to check the minibar in his room at the W Hotel, and found the room’s door latched from the inside. A maintenance worker opened the door and found Tims lying on his back between the bedroom and living room area. According to a law enforcement official, police found a glassine envelope with a white powerdery substance inside the right pocket of his shorts.
The substance was being tested, according to a law enforcement official.
Another law enforcement official familiar with the case said, “what that white powdery substance is and whether it played a role in Mr. Tims’ death is still to be determined.”
Police found no signs of trauma to his body. At this point criminality is not suspected, officials said. Detectives spoke with his family members and it appears Tims died in possession of his jewelry and other belongings.
Tims was in town for a meeting and was supposed to leave for Texas last Thursday, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter.
Tims was a young drug addict in Maryland when he was “miraculously saved” according to his website [ http://www.ndcc.tv/Home.aspx ] and a memoir published in 2006. After discovering Christianity, he earned degrees in accounting and theology and worked at a ministry in Baltimore. In 1996, he and his wife Riva moved to Orlando, where they founded the New Destiny Christian Center.
At the ministry’s first service, six people gathered in a hotel room, according to the ministry’s website. In 1999, they purchased a church; two years later, the ministry expanded to a second 21-acre-location dubbed “City of Destiny.”
As the church grew, it was able to bestow lavish benefits, even giving away cars to members, according to its website.
Tims’s memoir and self-help book, “It’s Never Too Late: How a teenage criminal found his divine destiny and became a successful millionaire and pastor of a thriving church,” released through Charisma House Publications in 2006, sold “fairly well,” moving around 23,000 copies, said Woodley Auguste, the imprint’s director of marketing and publicity.
In 2009, Tims and his wife Riva divorced after he admitted to a year-long affair with a stripper. The couple had been married for 15 years.
After the divorce, Riva Tims founded Majestic Life Ministries in Orlando; they shared custody of their four children, including a son with Cerebral Palsy, according to the Majestic Life Ministries website.
As news of his death circulated, condolences poured in from around the country. Mourners arrived at his church, the New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, FL, seeking answers and posted messages of shock and sadness on social media sites like Facebook and twitter.
“I join many others in being saddened by the news of the death of Rev. Zachery Tims of Florida,” tweeted the Rev. Al Sharpton.
As new details begin to emerge about the death of megachurch pastor Zachery Tims, members of New Destiny Christian Center are finding comfort in God.
On Monday, church members gathered in a meeting to discuss the rumors and speculation surrounding the death of Tims, founder of New Destiny Christian Center.
The 42-year-old was found dead at a New York hotel Friday.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting an envelop of white powder, believed to be narcotics, was discovered in Tims' pocket. The news has led many to suggest an overdose, although no official cause of death has been named.
Tims started New Destiny Christian Center in 1996 after overcoming a troubled past, including attempted murder charges and drug addiction.
His sermons have reached millions of people around the world, and he regularly appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network program "Praise the Lord."
"While words are difficult for me to find during this time of loss, I honor the great work he has done for the kingdom of God and pray for every family member, friend, associate and the incredible congregation of New Destiny," fellow megachurch pastor Paula White said of her "spiritual son" and friend.
The Christian Post reports that at Monday's church meeting, members participated in a time of worship, asking God for "strength and healing."
"Zachery's death may have caught us by surprise, but it has not taken God by surprise," Riva Tims, the ex-wife of the Florida pastor, spoke to the congregation.
Riva, a pastor herself, also used Facebook to thank people for their support during this time. "Please continue to keep my family especially my children lifted in prayer," she said.
Supporters have flocked to New Destiny's Facebook page to express their condolences over the loss of Tims. Well-known pastors and other leaders also responded with deep sorrow.
"My Heart is so heavy tonight," longtime friend and pastor Clint Brown said on his Facebook page. "It will take Orlando a long time to get over this. Dr. Zachary Tims you will never, ever be forgotten... I miss you so much. My heart is broken."
Tims' ex-wife announced on Facebook that funeral services will be held Saturday, Aug. 20.
J. Lee Grady Wednesday, 17 August 2011 09:50 AM EDT
God has something sobering to say to us through the death of this popular preacher.
Zachery Tims’ story had a great beginning. As a young man he met Jesus and was saved from a life of crime and drugs. He and his wife, Riva, moved from Baltimore to Orlando, Fla., in 1996 to launch a church that aimed to restore families and pull teens out of trouble. New Destiny Christian Center grew fast, mostly because of Tims’ passionate preaching. He was soon a regular on Christian television.
But things unraveled in 2009 when Tims was caught carrying on a yearlong affair with a stripper he met in France. He admitted to an “indiscretion” and got a few weeks of counseling, but he didn’t take serious time off for rehabilitation. Riva divorced him for his infidelity. The billboards that once featured photos of the happy couple were changed. By 2011 the roadside ads featured a shot of Tims by himself, with this slogan: “A Family Church Meeting Family Needs.”
This story did not end well. On Aug. 12, Tims was found dead—at age 42—in a New York City hotel room. His four children lost their dad, and his church lost their beloved leader. But while Tims’ family and friends are grieving their loss (and I’m not minimizing that because the pain is real), I’m also grieving over the fact that the wider body of Christ has yet another embarrassing religious scandal to explain. We can’t gloss over this.
There are so many aspects of this story that should cause us to lament. How did a preacher get involved with a stripper? Why didn’t Tims put himself on the bench for at least a year after his sin was exposed? Why did Christian television keep him on the air after his affair became public? Why did his church continue to attract crowds when people knew Tims’ behavior did not match the biblical standards of morality required for church leaders?
It’s especially troubling that the people closest to Tims—church elders, advisers and mentors—didn’t hold his feet to the fire. They were in such a hurry to “restore” him to the pulpit that they ignored his need for personal healing. They were so eager to exonerate him from all wrong that they couldn’t wait to see the genuine fruit of repentance—which takes time to develop in a person who has been living a life of denials, deciepton and secret sin.
Now a man is dead. We don’t know yet why Tims died in his room on the 37th floor at the W Hotel in Manhattan. Police are still investigating. But I believe this tragedy could have been avoided if Tims and the people in his inner circle had followed the forgotten principle of biblical discipline.
Some critics have called me a judgmental stone-thrower because I believe leaders should step down for a year or more after a moral failure. In our permissive culture we’ve lost the will to confront. God’s commandments have become suggestions. Accountability is viewed as legalistic. Morality has been redefined. And we’ve dropped holiness from our vocabulary.
As a result of our spiritual laxness, congregations not only tolerate but celebrate leaders who are unrepentant about their moral failures. As long as adulterous preachers tickle ears and soothe guilty consciences with empty words about prosperity, big crowds will keep the offering plates full. This fake religious game is a mockery of all that is decent and godly.
I won’t win any popularity contests for saying this. But I believe the Lord is speaking a sobering message to us through the death of Zachery Tims. God will not be mocked. As in the days of Isaiah, the Lord is saying to His people: “I’ve had enough!” (Is. 1:11, NASB).
The Lord is weary of our religious games. He’s going to close down the show. Judgment begins in the house of God. The fire of His holiness is going to be unleashed on the American church. Ministries that have been built on personality, pride, hype, charlatanism, fakery and compromise are going to crumble.
Leaders who strut on the stage, pretending to be men of God while hiding gross immorality, are on a collision course with the same God who struck Ananias and Sapphira dead in the book of Acts. We who celebrate God’s kindness must also know His severity. We who love to preach about His mercy must also know “it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” ( Heb. 10:31). We who sing about heaven must also warn people about hell.
God said to His wayward people in Isaiah 1:24-26: “I will be relieved of My adversaries, and avenge Myself on My foes; I will also turn My hand against you, and will smelt away your dross as with lye and will remove all your alloy. Then I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful city.”
As we mourn the death of Zachery Tims, let’s pray that the Lord’s fearful judgments will lead His people back to true humility and faithfulness.
J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His most recent book is 10 Lies Men Believe (Charisma House).
Editors' note: Mother Jones illustrator Zina Saunders creates editorial animations riffing on the political news and current events of the week. In this week's animation, new GOP contender Gov. Rick Perry consults with his chief advisor and star of his recent Christians-only prayerfest—God. As always, that's Saunders doing the voices. Sound effects are courtesy of freesound.org.
Read the prayer's hilarious transcript:
Omnipotent One Whose Secret Words Only I Can Hear and Interpret, I promise to slash the size of government just like I have in Texas, where government spending and debt has almost doubled in the 11 years I’ve been governor.
O Big Man in the Sky Who Can Kick The Ass of All Other Gods, I promise to focus on jobs, like we do in Texas, where more of our workers earn the minimum wage than in any other state.
O Magical Daddy Who I Must Obey If I Know What’s Good For Me, I promise to keep cutting taxes on corporations and rich people by slashing school budgets and using phony accounting gimmicks.
O Secret Henchman Who Wreaks Revenge on Anyone Who Gets On My Nerves, I promise to bring to the nation the educational results we have in Texas, where we are ranked 47th in literacy.
O Jumbo Being Who Cannot Be Detected in Any Way, But Who I Not Only Detect But Speak For, I promise to force vaccines on children, especially vaccines made by drug companies that give me campaign contributions and hire my staff to lobby for them.
O Invisible Friend Who Only I Am Seeing at the Moment, I promise to shrink government but impose mandatory ultrasounds on women trying to get abortions.
O Incomprehensible Giant Guy Who Despite My Lack of Education or Insight I Am Able to Comprehend (and Translate For), I promise to oppose and criminalize everything gay.
O Unproveable One Who I Can Use as Validation for Doing or Saying Anything I Want, I promise to make schools teach Intelligent Design as a legitimate scientific alternative to evolution.
O Best Friend in the Sky Who Passes Me Secret Notes, I promise to fight against the global warming hoax being perpetrated by evil scientists and government bad guys!
Well-Known Dallas Pastor, Sandy McGriff, Caught Breaking into Church Member's House on Christmas Eve
Janet Shan Monday, December 27, 2010
South Dallas pastor Sandy McGriff arrested for breaking into home of church member Serita Agnew & stealing fur coats & laptop computers Christmas Eve.
SHAME: Another snake in the pulpit has been revealed [ http://www.khou.com/home/-Pastor-faces-theft-charges-after-caught-climbing-out-window-of-church-members-home-112504374.html ] after South Dallas Pastor Sandy McGriff, was spotted breaking into the home of Serita Agnew, one of her parishioners, on Christmas Eve. McGriff, who has a criminal record, has been accused of stealing fur coats and laptop computers from Ms. Agnew's home. What's terrible is that this wasn't the act of a random criminal on the street. It was her pastor, who she revered and looked up to.
Some people wonder why church membership across the United States is falling. Well, here's a prime reason why. This do-as-I-say but not-as-I-do mentality is etched in the minds of many pastors who mean their congregants no good. The excuse McGriff, who is from a well-known religious family in Dallas, used when police caught her red-handed is comical:
"My biggest mistake was going through... going through the window," McGriff told WFAA, KENS 5's sister station, explaining that she was checking on Agnew on Christmas Eve and she caught two men breaking in. McGriff said she climbed through the window so she could protect Agnew's property. She said she couldn't find the key to the house. But why not just call the police? "My mistake," she said. "I should have." Source: KHOU-TV
Well, Ms. McGriff is a long-time con-artist, who has a lengthy criminal record and goes by several aliases, according to KHOU.com. You see, everyone deserves a second chance when they fall down, but dang, how easy was it for this woman to plant a church somewhere? What's equally amazing is the incredible level of hubris this woman displays in saying she plans to plead not guilty to the theft.
Watch the video:
[embedded]
UPDATE#1: Here is another video with Mrs. McGriff being interviewed. She is lying through her teeth. A real con artist.
Serita Agnew Tells GMA She Isn't Buying What Pastor Sandy McGriff Is Selling[stricken through]Stealing
By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Dec. 29 2010 at 9:06 AM
No doubt you've heard the tale of Sandy McGriff, the 52-year-old Church of the Living God pastor -- and a former prostitute with more than 12 aliases, according to the Dallas Police Department -- who was spotted breaking into congregant Serita Agnew's house on Christmas Eve and is accused of swiping her fur coats, some purses and a laptop. McGriff has said she was doing Agnew a solid by breaking into her home -- in order to, ya know, stop some burglars from absconding with the looted items. Happens. Doesn't it?
McGriff's already told her side of the story (and not very well [ http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/?bcid=726291517001&bcpl=207603118001 ] ). This morning, on Good Morning America, it was Agnew's turn [ http://abcnews.go.com/US/dallas-parishioner-fur-coats-purses-allegedly-stolen-pastor/story?id=12497950 ]. And she's "devastated" and "in disbelief" by what her pastor did. Still, she tells ABC's Chris Cuomo, perhaps this is all part of God's Layaway Plan: "Being a person of faith, I've come to believe that we are presented with challenges in our life, and I believe that all of those challenges are tailor-designed for us, specifically, to bring us closer to God. And if I believe that for myself, I have to believe that for Sandy, and my hope is that she finds her way."
McGriff, who leads The Church of the Living God in Oak Cliff and is a member of a politically active family, was caught in the act by a neighbor, who called police.
Responding officers said they saw the pastor loading the items into her car. They said McGriff used an alias, attacked them and slipped out of handcuffs.
The pastor had claimed she was simply protecting the valuables after she chased two burglars away from Agnew's home.
Texas pastor gets probation for stealing from home
Published 08:05 a.m., Friday, August 26, 2011
DALLAS (AP) — A Texas pastor caught stealing from a church member's home was reminded by a judge who sentenced her to probation that her actions broke three of the Ten Commandments related to stealing, lying and coveting.
Sandy McGriff, cofounder of the Church of the Living God in Dallas, was sentenced to five years of probation for taking fur coats, designer purses and electronics from the home of Serita Agnew on Christmas Eve.
YOUTH VOLUNTEER AT TARRANT COUNTY CHURCH IS ARRESTED ON FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE
Defendant Ordered Detained
TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2011
FORT WORTH, Texas — A detention/probable cause hearing was held this morning for Derek M. Ripley, 27, of Fort Worth, Texas, who was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton ordered Ripley, who has been in custody since his arrest following the execution of a federal search warrant at his residence on Thursday, detained pending further court proceedings.
According to testimony presented at this morning’s hearing and information contained in the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Ripley volunteered his time working with the youth at Trinity Chapel Church on Southwest Boulevard in Benbrook, Texas. In November 2010, an FBI agent, working in an undercover capacity, used peer-to-peer file-sharing to determine that an individual, using a particular username, was logged into the network. The undercover agent browsed this particular user name's shared folders and observed numerous images of child pornography, including movie files of prepubescent males engaged in sexual activity. Further investigation revealed that this particular user was Ripley.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. If convicted of this offense, however, Ripley faces a statutory sentence of not less than five years or more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney’s office has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment.
This matter was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov
The matter is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex C. Lewis.
FORT WORTH — A 27-year-old Fort Worth man who did volunteer work with children at Trinity Chapel Church on Southwest Boulevard in Benbrook was sentenced Friday to 10 years in federal prison on a child pornography charge.
Prosecutors said Derek M. Ripley was sentenced on one count of distributing child pornography. He also was ordered to be under supervised release for life. He pleaded guilty in May.
Authorities say Ripley admitted to using the Internet to distribute three images of boys engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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